State's Swiss miss goes with the flow.

• Position: Hoffmann-LaRoche Inc. foregoes plant in North Carolina and opens instead in South Carolina - Tar Heel Tattler - Brief Article

Hoffmann-LaRoche Inc. looked like a good prospect to the state's industry hunters when the Swiss-owned drug company was looking for a site two years ago.

After all, London-based pharmaceutical giants Glaxo and Burroughs Wellcome were thriving in Eastern North Carolina. And Hoffmann-LaRoche already had one foot in North Carolina with its Burlington-based testing subsidiary, Roche Biomedical Laboratories Inc.

But in September, Hoffmann-LaRoche picked Florence, S.C., for a new research and development center - bypassing sites near Greenville, New Bern and Wilmington. The initial investment of $150 million and employment of 200 may double during the '90s.

Hoffmann-LaRoche officials pointed to the southerly site's access to the Pee Dee River as a major factor in the decision.

But the Palmetto State...